CyberChase: Mind Control
by Mistress Mischeif
Summary: Matt's mind has been taken over by Hacker! Inez blames herself. Can Digit, Jackie, and Slider convince her it wasn't her fault? And if so, can they rescue Matt, or will Matt stay in CyberSpace controlled by Hacker forever?
1. Taken Over

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this story. Just the plot.

_**Flashback**_

__"Talking"

_Thinking_

_Mind Talking_

**oOo**

Matt lay in his bed, his forehead burning, and occasionally tossing in his sleep.

Inez sat next to his bed, keeping a cold, damp dishcloth to his forehead. He'd been like this ever since they last came back from CyberSpace.

_**"Matt!" Jackie called.**_

_** Matt was facing Hacker.**_

_** "Matt!" Inez called.**_

_** Hacker spoke to Matt, but it was too low for the girls to hear.**_

_** "MATT!" Jackie and Inez both called.**_

_** Matt passed out. Inez ran over to him.**_

_** Hacker began walking away. "Next time he wakes up, we won't be the same."**_

_Is this what Hacker meant? _ Inez wondered.

Matt sat up.

Inez reached out for him. "Matt, you're awake!"

Matt pushed her away and stood on shaky legs.

"Matt..?"

` _**Hacker solemnly looked at Matt.**_

_** "It's not true!" Matt cried.**_

_** "It is. There's a part of you saying it **_**is **_**true," Hacker said. "Just find me if you reconsider my offer."**_

_** Matt then passed out.**_

Matt wasn't thinking clearly.

_It's all true… he was right… _he thought. _They don't _really _need me here. My parents are barely home these days… they won't notice my absence… Jackie, Inez, and Digit just need me to help Motherboard… it's not like I _mean _anything to them…_

Matt left his room then saw a red vortex. He walked through it, knowing full-well where it would take him.

Inez called Jackie. "Jackie, there's something wrong with Matt! Meet me in CyberSpace and I'll explain!"

Inez then contacted Digit and explained the situation.

"I'll contact Motherboard and Slider immediately!" Digit stated. "I'll also activate a portal for you and Jackie!"

"Thanks, Digit," Inez said.

Seconds later, a blue vortex appeared. Inez grabbed her bag from a corner and walked into the vortex.

**OOooOO**


	2. We're All To Blame

"So, Hacker's controlling Matt's _mind_?" Digit asked.

"It's the only explanation," Jackie said.

Inez felt like most of this was her fault. She sat down. Before the last mission, Matt had been offended. By her.

_**"Hey, Nezzie," Slider said.**_

_** "So, he can call you Nezzie but I can't?" Matt asked, sounding hurt.**_

_** Inez felt her heart shatter watching Matt walk away with his head down.**_

_That's when he ran into Hacker…_ Inez thought.

Slider entered. "Hey, Nezzie."

"Don't call me that," she snapped at him. Then she added quietly, "only Matt can call me that.."

"Speaking of Mattie, where is he?" Slider asked.

"Hacker has him," Jackie said.

"Wh-How!" Slider asked frantically.

Jackie shrugged. "All we know is that on our last mission, Hacker did something to Matt to infiltrate his mind."

"And now he's Hacker's follower!" Digit exclaimed.

"What!" Inez, Jackie, and Slider asked simultaneously.

"Look! He's talking to Hacker like their _friends_!" Digit said, pointing at the screen.

It was true. Hacker and Matt sat side by side on a wall, talking like they'd known each other since forever.

They could hear what Hacker and Matt were talking about.

"I guess that _is _tragic, to realize that your parents are never home anymore to take care of you and that your friends just need you to help Motherboard," Hacker said.

Matt nodded sadly. "I… was thinking… I'm going to take up your offer."

"Really?" Hacker asked, acting to sound surprised.

Matt nodded. "It's not like anyone'll care…"

Hacker smiled. "Then let's go!"

The screen clicked off.

Inez sat down again. "…"

Jackie sat next to Inez and hugged her friend.

"It's all my fault…" Inez whispered.

"No, it isn't," Jackie reassured.

"I drove him away..!" Inez whimpered.

"No, you didn't," Jackie reassured.

"And now… he hates us… just because of me…"

"No!" Jackie gripped Inez by the shoulders and faced her friend. "None of this was _just _your doing! We're _all _to blame! Matt's been the 'silent sufferer' and no one even knew because he always had a smile and a cheery attitude! We _all _failed to notice Matt's pain!"

Inez looked at Jackie like she was about to cry.

Jackie pulled Inez into a hug. "I'm sorry I yelled, but it was my fault, too."

"And mine," Slider said sadly.

"Me too," Digit said.

Jackie pulled away and looked at Inez. "Now, see? We're all to blame. You aren't the only one who failed to notice what was _really _happening to Matt. Now, let's go save him, alright?"

Inez smiled and nodded. "Right!"

**OOooOO**


	3. Sleepwalker

Matt kept his head down the entire walk back to the airship, his mind scrambled.

_Was it okay to leave them? Maybe this wasn't a good idea… _he thought.

_This was just what you needed,_Hacker said to him telepathically. _They don't understand you like I do. I know you've been silently suffering. I've seen the pain and hurt in your eyes when that girl Inez looks at Slider the way she won't look at you. _"I think of you like a son."

Matt looked at him in surprise. "H-how did you—"

"Telepathy, my dear Matthew, all just simple telepathy," Hacker explained.

Matt nodded. "So you can hear my thoughts?"

"When I want to, yes."

"Okay…"

"Some of your thoughts will be shielded from me as well, so don't worry."

Matt smiled. "Okay."

Hacker smirked and walked inside his aircraft, Matt following close behind.

Meanwhile, Jackie, Inez, Digit, and Slider started their search tracking down Hacker and Matt.

"Found their signal?" Digit asked Slider.

"No, not yet…" Slider mumbled, staring at the screen.

Inez still felt guilty.

Jackie sighed. "Hey, Matt's waiting for us to save him, even if he doesn't seem like it, there's still some good left in him, but Hacker's trapped it. That Good Matt's waiting for you to free it. Do you think Good Matt will want you to be sad and blame yourself?"

Inez shook her head. "No… but—"

"We'll find him. And it's not just your fault. I doubt Matt will blame anybody," Slider said. "Well, maybe himself, but we've got to tell him that it's nobody's fault but Hacker for using Matt's weakness to control him. That's just shallow and stooping really, _really _low."

Inez stood up and wiped a hand across her eyes and nodded.

"Found their signal!" Slider cheered. A big grin broke across his face.

"Well, what're we waiting for? Let's go save Matt!" Jackie said.

Inez felt a huge weight lift off of her chest.

**OOooOO**


	4. Just A Preview

"I told you we should've taken a left!" a girl's voice yelled.

"Well_, sooorry_, I thought we should just _take a freaking right_!" a boy's voice protested.

Jackie stopped and looked at the two kids ahead of them.

There was a boy and a girl.

Inez looked at her friend. "Jackie, what's wrong?"

Jackie pointed at the two bickering kids.

Inez ran forward and stood between them. "Woah, whoa, whoa, what's going on?"

The girl pointed at the boy. "He said we should take a _right _and not a _left_, like I told him!"

"Oh, excuuuuuse me, Princess, but normally when we go the way I say, don't you normally end up _thanking _me?" the boy objected.

"And now, we're lost! Thanks a lot, _Ryan_!" the girl yelled.

"No problem, _Ariel_," Ryan said with sarcasm and venom.

"Okay, okay, now why are you fighting over _directions_?" Jackie asked.

"We're trying to find someone," Ariel and Ryan said simultaneously.

"Who?" Slider asked.

"S—" Ariel started.

Ryan clapped a hand over Ariel's mouth. "Sorry, we can't tell ya. By the way, I'm Ryan Parks. And this is my sister, Ariel."

Ariel then smacked her brother. "Why did you shut me up!"

Ryan pulled his sister over behind a bush a little ways away.

"Motherboard told us _not _to tell the current CyberSquad who we were yet! If we know Slider and Digit, they'll ask why, and we'll haf'ta tell 'em," Ryan whispered.

"Ooohhhhhhhhhh," Ariel nodded in confirmation.

Ryan and Ariel walked back to the quartet.

"Sorry 'bout that~" Ariel apologized.

"Hey, since we're both lookin' fer someone, why don' we look together?" Ryan asked.

Inez nodded. "Heck yes!"

**Oo**

"So, his name's Matt…" Ryan mused.

"And he had orange hair, wears a green sweater and jeans, and always has a backpack…" Ariel confirmed.

Jackie nodded. "Yeah, Hacker somehow infiltrated his mind and now they're _best friends_!"

"Wait, Hacker!" Ariel exclaimed. "_The _Hacker! The guy who gave Motherboard the virus!"

Digit nodded.

Ariel growled.

"Easy, Ari," Ryan said, putting his hand on his sister's shoulder.

Ariel sighed. "Alright. Let's get moving and go look for Matt."

Inez nodded vigorously. "Yes! We have to find Matt ASAP!"

**Oo**

** A/N: hi, this is NOT the actual chapter; this is a preview chapter, mostly meant for Aisha. Will this work as a first meeting? I know you said that Motherboard sent Ariel and Ryan to Hacker, but I totally forgot about that, then I re-read your review with my brother and my expression, "O_O OH SHIT." I hope this works, hun. xD**


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